The Bellmead Chamber of Commerce is once again participating in Holiday Meals for LaVega ISD families. This will be our 10th year to offer a helping hand to families who might otherwise not get to enjoy a great family meal during the holidays.

This project has been very successful in previous years and we certainly cannot be successful without the help of our Chamber members. We are asking for your contribution to this project. The cost of the meal is $45 and this will provide a holiday meal of turkey, dressing and all the fixings, along with a dessert for a family of 4 to 6 people.

If you would like to participate in this project, please email to Kaye Morgan or Bellmead Chamber Office with a subject of “Holiday Meals” letting us know how many meals you as an individual or as a company would like to sponsor or call our office at (254) 799-1552. We will invoice you as you respond.

This is your opportunity to build and promote your business at a phenomenal price, have lunch and win DOOR PRIZES!

Registration The event fee is $10 per member, $15 for first-time visitors and $25 for returning visitors. Attendees may register and pay online or email Laura and pay at the door or over the phone. We accept cash, check, Visa, MasterCard, AMEX and Discover. Registration is required – this enables us to give the caterer an accurate headcount. All attendees are required to pay, even if they don’t eat, as the fee is for the benefit of attending.

Program Alissa with Hewitt Chamber will welcome everyone and recognize the venue and caterer as well as representatives from Bellmead and Lacy Lakeview Chambers. Following chamber announcements, we will then go into the program starting with our Hewitt luncheon sponsors Hometown News and Davis Brothers Printing (more info on sponsorships below). After the sponsors speak, each business member will be able to give one 30-second commercial (limit one per member). We can encourage everyone to follow up and set appointments for five minutes if time allows. We’ll then end with any closing announcements and by drawing door prizes.

Sponsorships Featured sponsorships are available to members only and include one lunch, 3-5 minutes speaking time, exclusive marketing material distribution at each place setting, table signage and recognition on luncheon promotions. Featured sponsors are $35/luncheon and limited to five member sponsors per luncheon. We already have two secured; the rest will be sold on a first come, first serve basis. Those interested can call Hewitt Chamber office at (254) 666-1200 to check availability.

Menu Vitek’s is delivering the meal, which will include sliced brisket, sausage, and turkey, potato salad, green salad with dressing, sliced bread, sauce, onions, pickles, etc. We’ll have tea and water to drink.

Caritas is supported through various faith, civic and service organizations, charitable foundations, area businesses and individuals.

Community volunteers are vital to the making Cartias a fully functioning organization that reaches the community in several levels.

“The volunteers help us save money and put money back into helping others,” said Don Taylor, retail operations manager at the Caritas store in Bellmead.

“We’re becoming more of a variety of store, and we are gearing ourselves into more concise categories of ceramics, furniture, antique, clothing, artwork and décor,” he said. “We’re trying to be more of cross store that a little bit of everything—electronics, TVs, boom boxes, VCRs. H-E-B donates some of this stuff to us.”

The store strives to provide quality merchandise at a good price, added Taylor.

“We have good deals, good prices and all of our items are checked and cleaned before we put them out for sale.”

Recent changes to the store include a new point-of-sale system and new signs throughout to clearly mark merchandise for shoppers.

“We repainted the store and added 40 new display tables. We revamped the stock rooms and the bathrooms with new vanities, toilets and floors,” said Taylor.
The ramp for deliveries was rebuilt, and the all the light fixtures redone.

The store is part of the Caritas system by supporting the main warehouse with clothing.

“We sometimes help people with their electricity bill and their rent and provide vouchers for clothing. Everything is funneled back into the programs,” he said.
“Anything we do in the thrift stores directly goes back into everything caritas does in the community. We’re tyring to help the community in any way we can.”
The food pantry at 15th Street and Mary Avenue in Waco is a major part of of the services that Caritas provices.

“We have a vegetable program. They actually have a day where people can come through and they just give it away to them. They don’t have to go through the system. They offer this when they have the stockpiles,” said Taylor.

They main system is based on the non-perishable foods.

Caritas is also planning a Christmas in July at the Franklin Avenue and Bellmead locations and the warehouse in Robinson.

“We have a lot of Christmas stuff. We’re going to put out Christmas stuff and have Santa Claus and sno cones July 19 at Bellmead, July 18 at 3116 Franklin Ave. and July 20 at the warehouse in Robinson 620 N. Robinson Drive.”

Items for sale will include decorations, trees and lights.

“We’re going to decorate it up. We’re going to have tables of just Christmas stuff and Christmas music playing,” said Taylor. “We have pre-lit trees, and we even a huge eight-foot wreath. We go to a lot of the estate sales. We have a lot of the older stuff like Snoopy lights. Some of them are antiques.”

The store is also planning to hold a sale each month.

All three Caritas locations accept donations, but the preferred drop off point is the warehouse in Robinson.

The LEAD program is a business and education partnership sponsored by the Greater Waco Chamber. The program pairs Waco High School, University High School, Rapoport Academy, La Vega High School, Midway High School and Harmony Science Academy students with business leaders to foster mentoring relationships that educate and expose students to various business fields.

LEAD Mentors are committed to the development of students with leadership potential who need guidance and encouragement towards the pursuit of higher education and career goals, which in turn ensures greater employability and quality of life.

LEAD mentors are expected to meet with their students at least twice monthly with at least one of these meetings at a business tour that the chamber coordinates. Students are mentored by business professionals with similar aspirations and interests.

Seniors in the program can apply for the Bradley Ray Hulse $20,000 Memorial Scholarship that is awarded at the annual scholarship banquet.
The LEAD program will begin its ninth year in August 2015 and is proud of its 100 percent graduation rate with all students having gone onto some form of higher education. Currently 141 students and 71 mentors are in the program.

“With the addition of La Vega High School this summer our hope is to find mentors in close proximity to the school,” said LEAD director Rachel Martinez.
For more information about the program, to become a mentor, open the doors of your business for a tour or become a sponsor, contact Martinez at rmartinez@wacochamber.com or (254) 757-5633.

The Bellmead Chamber of Commerce along with sponsors presented eight $1000 scholarships to La Vega High School graduating seniors. The funds are raised annually through the Chamber’s golf tournament.

The Chamber also recognized the Man, Woman and Business of the Year. The President’s Award and Life Time Achievement Award were present by Bellmead Chamber President Adam Barber.

The La Vega High School Navy J.R.O.T.C. served at the banquet and presented the colors. Barbara Lucas sang The Star-Bangled Banner. Tim Maloney, director of basketball operations for Baylor University was the guest speaker.

When Duane and Lisa Hoxworth moved to Bellmead 25 years ago, they didn’t realize the community would become their home, a place to raise their family and grow a church.

Connect Church, then known as Praise Temple Assembly of God, has thrived under their leadership serving the surrounding area with music and ministry.

“In moving to Bellmead 25 years ago, Lisa and I discovered a loving church family and community that have made this a wonderful place to live and the place where we wanted to stay,” said Duane.

He is a graduate of Southwestern Assemblies of God University, loves hunting and working on his 1965 Mustang. Lisa works at Baylor University, leads the children’s department and enjoys gardening in her spare time.

Senior Pastors Duane and Lisa have two adult children, Dr. Nicole McAninch and Richard Hoxworth. They are also grandparents to Catelin, Callie and Caleb.
The church honored Duane and Lisa with a celebration earlier this year.

Their son, Richard, is lead pastor and has been serving at Connect Church since he first became the Youth Pastor in 2007. Richard received a bachelor’s degree from Baylor University in 2012 and continues his theological studies at Truett Theological Seminary with a master’s in Christian Ministry.

Richard is a lifelong musician, Apple enthusiast and enjoys studying history and running the Bear Trail to 1980s music.

Senior Worship Pastors Bobby Hoxworth, Duane’s brother, and his wife, Pat, are in their 25th year of serving as the senior worship pastors at Connect Church.

Bobby graduated from the University of Mary Hardin Baylor with a bachelor’s degree and earned his MBA from Baylor University. Bobby has been a banker for more than 30 years and is active in a number of community organizations.

In addition to heading up the worship ministry at Connect Church, Bobby also serves as a member of the Board of Trustees. Bobby is a gifted photographer and enjoys bike riding with Pat in their spare time.

Duane said Connect Church is committed to encouraging believers in their faith.

“Our church’s mission is to lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ,” he said. “To accomplish this, the church’s new name, Connect Church, also reflects a new vision where we create environments where people are encouraged to pursue intimacy with God, build relationships and community with others and be involved in positively influencing the community and world around us.”

Duane also said that a vibrant church is an active church that reaches out to the community.

“We are working to help people enjoy a close relationship with God, as well as close relationships with others,” he said.

“We don’t want to be the church simply sitting, and waiting for people to walk through our doors. You will find us out and around the community looking for opportunities to serve others. In the past few weeks, we’ve offered a free car wash for Bellmead citizens, and free hamburgers, chips and soft-drinks in the park.”

Connect Church is located at 1201 N. I-35, Waco, TX 76705. For more information, call (254) 799-2517 or visit ConnectWaco.com.